One of the world’s major airports has equipped its public toilets with rolls of paper resembling toilet tissue and designed to let passengers wipe and disinfect their smartphones.

The airport is Tokyo Narita, and the toilet paper for smartphones has been installed on the walls of toilet stalls, adjacent to regular toilet rolls.

The smartphone rolls looks like standard toilet paper, though the rolls are smaller. The paper itself bears a prominent sign saying “Welcome to Japan”. Japanese mobile giant NTT Docomo is financing the initiative, which is why the rolls bear details of the company’s public Wi-Fi networks and smartphone travel app.

A YouTube video clip from NTT Docomo explains how to use toilets in Japan. The clip advises travellers not to wash their hands in toilet bowls, never a wise move. It also imparts other useful information, including details of the smartphone wipes. You can view it below.

NTT Docomo has installed smartphone toilet paper dispensers in seven airport restrooms. They will stay there until March next year, the firm told local media.

“There are more than five times of germs on a smartphone screen as compared to a toilet seat,” NTT Docomo declares.

The special cleaning rolls let foreign tourists clean their screens and “enjoy their travel hygienically”.